DE19749495A1 - Process for tempering an injection mold or die - Google Patents

Abstract

The mold temperature is controlled by using signals from temperature sensors in the mold to open and shut cooling water flow valves. Two different temperature threshold values are used to open and to shut the valves during the molding cycle. The temperature indicated by the sensor can show one or two peaks during the molding cycle, depending on its position relative to the mold walls and the cooling channel walls. The opening threshold value for opening the valve (tauf) is below that for closing (tzu) the valve. Optionally the first threshold can be offset by a time interval (ts).

Description

The invention relates to a method for tempering a Injection mold or die, with at least one measuring guide lers the respective temperature of the mold, ver with a setpoint equal and depending on a determined over or under exceeding the setpoint coolant, especially cooling water cooling channels arranged in the casting mold are supplied in metered fashion.

A known method of this type is described in US 4,354,812 and US 4,4420,446, being based on a determined average temperature Coolant pulses are generated. The disadvantage of this procedure consists of a temperature correction only after several cycles can be made if, for example, the conditions in Tool that changes pressure or temperature of the cooling medium.

In another known method according to DE 43 09 980 on due to averaging at the beginning of the spray cycle, a cooling pulse and a number of cooling pulses at the end of the spray cycle submitted. Here too there is the disadvantage that has already been stated above was spoken, whereby the cooling center introduced at the end of the cycle make limpulse particularly noticeable, because it increases Heat flow at the end of the cycle result, which leads to the Kavi surface in the area of the cooling channels behind it to adjust. The melt then hits a surface with different surfaces Chen temperatures, which inevitably causes a delay in the product and  other quality defects are caused. Be comparable procedures also described in US 5,452,999 and US 5,589,114.

According to a further known prior art is an injection molding tool with three sensors known. A core sensor is in the factory tool wall arranged immediately in front of the cavity surface. At this Spot is set after injecting the hot material to be sprayed Rise in temperature detected and after a coolant pulse brief drop. After that, however, there is another tempe temperature rise, which is caused by the heat coming from outside. Accordingly, in this known method, every time the set temperature is exceeded, cooling twice be provided. . This can lead to the tool surface temperature drops significantly below the set target temperature and only after one or more cycles again for the optimal processing processing required setpoint reached. This process can peri repeat odically. In this known method there is also a second sensor arranged near the sprue, which in turn is also very is located close to the cavity. This is where the regulation process comes in at the same target temperature to the situation that the sensor has a tempera door increase registered when the target temperature is reached or above it a valve opening triggers so that a coolant pulse is emitted ben, and the valve only when this temperature falls below closes. Because the corresponding cooling channel may be far away is arranged remotely, the heat transfer from the cooling channel to Sen sensor is not synchronized to the cycle, which means that the heat is extracted by the Cooling pulse is detected too late, and in turn, the target temperature  rature is greatly undershot, so that the before only after several cycles given target temperature is reached again.

Proceeding from this, the object of the invention is a method ren indicate which such a strong overshoot or undershoot avoids the temperature relative to the target temperature.

This object is achieved in that for the control two temperature thresholds can be specified as switching thresholds. The accordingly, the temperature setpoint for valve opening can be lower be the temperature setpoint for valve closing or vice versa. Depending on how the cooling channels and the assigned sensors in detail Both criteria can be used.

The process according to the invention has the advantage that overshoot the tool wall temperatures is avoided and still with one simple control algorithm can be worked, in which both can be intervened manually as well as automatically. It will be an opti Male temperature control even under very unfavorable conditions in the spray casting tool, e.g. B. at particularly large or small distances between Sensor and cooling channels achieved.

Further advantageous configurations result from the subclaims chen.

The invention is described below on the basis of a preferred embodiment example explained in connection with the drawing. Show:  

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an injection mold with a temperature control and three control circuits each with a sensor S1, S2, S3,

Fig. 2 is a representation of the switching thresholds and the temperature profile at the sensor S2,

Fig. 3 shows the switching thresholds and the temperature profile at the sensor S3, which is arranged in the cooling channel and

Fig. 4 is a representation of switching thresholds and temperature profile in a sensor that is successively acted upon within a spray cycle of egg ner larger amount of heat and subsequently by a smaller amount of heat, as can be observed, for example, on sensor S1.

In Fig. 1 an injection mold 1 with a mold cavity 2 and a plurality of cooling channels 3 is shown.

A valve arrangement 5 for the cooling liquid flowing through the cooling channels is controlled via a control and regulating device 4 .

A first sensor S1 is arranged at a distance A parallel to a cooling channel 3 and parallel to the mold recess 2 . A second sensor S2 is located at a distance B from cooling channels 3. A third sensor S3 is arranged in the cooling channel.

In control methods as they are known from the prior art and as described in the introduction, arises in the addressed Sensors the following problem:

Two temperature peaks are detected on sensor S1, two of them Heat waves result, each with a different heat ge is supplied. The first temperature peak results from the vertical running wall, whereas the second temperature peak from the Wall thickness results, which corresponds to the distance A. This second In conventional methods, the sensor increases the temperature S1 overvalued, which leads to control errors.

With sensor S2, the distance between sensor S2 and cooling duct 3 is greater than the heat transfer per cycle, as a result of which sensor S2 registers the heat dissipation too late due to the respective cooling pulse and the associated valve is accordingly closed too late in conventional methods.

With the sensor S3 arranged in the cooling channel, the temperature rises hung recognized too late, so that here too per cycle according to the status of Technology too much heat is dissipated and the temperature therefore decreases closing the valve drops below the set temperature.

These disadvantages described above are avoided by the method according to the invention, as will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4:

In FIG. 2, the temperature curve is illustrated on the sensor S2. Two to a temperature difference .DELTA.t spaced switching thresholds _t, and t _to provided, the exceeding of the upper switching threshold causes the opening and below the lower switching threshold of the closing of the valve SEN of the respective cooling channel. This results in a control adapted to the cooling channel distance, the distance .DELTA.t being individually adjustable for each injection mold and each temperature sensor provided there.

In Fig. 3, the temperature profile at the sensor S3 in the cooling channel 3 is Darge. There are again two switching thresholds _t, and t _to provided with an interval .DELTA.t, but in contrast to FIG. 2, the charge of opening the valve switching threshold t _on is lower than the charge of the closing of the valve switching threshold _t. Accordingly, the respective valve from the valve arrangement 5 is opened early and a cyclical heat dissipation is implemented accordingly.

Fig. 3 relates to the situation at the temperature sensor S1, where - as he imagines - two temperature peaks P1 and P2 occur. Again, two switching thresholds are provided with a distance Δt. The lower switching threshold t _on is that for opening the valve, the higher switching threshold t _on is that for closing the valve. It is of clearly that the absolute height and spacing of the temperature thresholds _t, and t is selected _{to be} such that the second peak P2 does not lead to repeated opening and closing of the respective valve, so that hereby overshoots are avoided.

FIG. 4 shows a variant of the method according to the invention, where the second switching threshold is not determined by the absolute value of the temperature, but rather by the expiry of a fixed time interval t _s after the first switching threshold has been exceeded. This temperature interval can be specified accordingly for the individual application.

Claims (4)

1. A method for tempering an injection mold or die, where the temperature of the mold is detected by means of at least one sensor, compared with a target value and, depending on a determined excess or differentiation of the target value, cooling fluid, in particular cooling water, by in the mold Arranged cooling channels is metered supplied, characterized in that two temperature thresholds are predetermined for the re regulation that the egg NEN threshold opening the valves for metering the coolant and the other threshold is assigned the closing of the valves. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor relative to the Kühlkanä len or to the mold recess or to the outer wall of the mold is arranged so that successive temperature peaks of different heights are measured during a spray cycle, characterized in that the temperature thresholds have such a distance Δt and such an absolute value based on the respectively measured lower temperature peak P2 that the temperature peak P2 is below the switching threshold t _zu for the closing of the respective valve. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein a sensor in a cooling channel is being arranged, characterized in that the temperature threshold t _to to close the respective valve above the temperature threshold T _on to open the valve is. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second higher or lower temperature threshold is given by the fact that it  by a certain predeterminable time interval after over or under the first temperature threshold is determined.